Job advert for assistant head at Sheffield's Mercia School disappears after backlash

A school's job advert for a new assistant headteacher who would be expected to "live and breathe" the role has disappeared after an online backlash.

Mercia School in Sheffield said applicants for the position would need to be prepared for the job to "dominate" their life.

The advert – posted on the education website Tes – said the role came with "huge demands" throughout the day, including "being on alert from 7am until 6pm".

It added: "Are you ok with the team contacting you in the evening? Meeting in holidays and being prepared to do detentions on a Saturday morning?"

"High energy and sacrifice are required to excel in this position at Mercia School," it said.

"We cannot carry anyone; we need a commitment from our assistant headteacher to stay until the job is done."

Paying up to £62,561, the job required someone who would work "ridiculously hard".

The headteacher added: "When I state ridiculously hard, I mean it!"

The secondary school has developed a reputation as among the strictest and most demanding in the area.

Its website says it is "traditional and academically rigorous".

Headteacher, Dean Webster, has previously said the school prides itself on "exceptionally high standards for behaviour" as well as very low exclusion and high attendance rates.

After attracting a flood of criticism, the web page carrying the advert has apparently been taken down.

Writing on Twitter, teacher Nicola Garrard said: "Reading this teaching job description will tell you everything you need to know about why teachers are leaving in droves. It is beyond parody."

Another user wrote: "This is not how to attract the best teachers into senior leadership. This is not a parody and it’s not far from the truth in too many schools."

Jeff Pedley, an English teacher in Brussels, posted on Twitter: "This job advert from a Sheffield secondary is reason 417 why I will never teach in England again."

But former Leeds headteacher Chris Dyson said: "My opinion - it doesn't offend me... better to see this pre-applying than be disappointed after."

The school has been contacted for comment.

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